Improvement in hand-cars



W. T. BEEKMAN.

Hand Car.

N I l v o 112,008. Patented' Feb. 21, 1871.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

YVILLIAM T. BEEKMAN, 0F PETERSBURG, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAND-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 112,008, dated February21, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM T. BEEKMAN, of Petersburg, in the county ofMenard and State of Illinois, have invented anew and useful Improvementin HandGars; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear,and

exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanyingdrawing, making a part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a top view or plan of a car with my improvement attachedthereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a verticallongitudinal section of the same, taken in line ma, Fig. l; and Fig. 4is a detached crosssection of the shaft and rack employed in adjustingthe car.

Similar letters of reference, where they occur, indicate like parts inthe several figures of the drawing.

My invention has lfor its object to provide an improved device by whichthe labor of moving hand-cars to and from the track may be rendered muchless, whereby the time employed in removing a car from the track on theapproach ot' an express or other fast train is much less. Thus thesafety of the men operating the same is greatly increased. And thenature of my improvement consists, rst, in attaching to the framework ofa car an adjustable bolster, so arranged that, through the medium of arack and pinion, by the movement of a lever, the car may be raised fromand turned at right angles with the track, whereby the same may bereadily removed; second, in so combining or connecting the brake to theparts operating the bolster that by a forward movement of the lever thebrake is brought in contact with the truck-wheels. Thus the momentumofthe car is stopped, and by a backward movement of said lever the caris raised preparatory to being removed from the track.

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawing.

A represents the frame-work of the truck, which may be constructed inthe usual manner, having its proper mechanism (not shown) for propellingthe same upon the track. B is a transverse horizontal shaft, which issecured tothe lower side of the frame, and so arranged as to be capableof a reciprocal rocking movement. Gis a lever, which is irmly iixed tosaid shaft near its outer end, and so arranged as to admit of beingtilted forward or backward, and secured in position by means of hooks ee, attached to the sides of the frame. Said shaft has also on its outerends a curved lever and brake, D, so attached as to freely oscillatethereon. 'Fixed to the opposite side of the frame is a stud or pivot, E,upon which oscillates a like curved leverV and brake, D?. Said levers, Dand D2, have their upper ends bent or curved forward, approximating tothe shape of the periphery of the truck-wheel. The lower ends of saidlevers are bent or curved backward, the lower side of which comes incontact with the upper side, and at the outer ends of bolster F, whichextends across from side to side of the track. Attached to the center ofsaid bolster is a vertical shaft, G, extending upward through rack H,which is so arranged as to revolve thereon. Said shaft is provided witha pin passing through its upper end, which comes in contact with awasher resting upon the upper end of said rack, thus securing the same.Said rack is provided on its side with flanges t' t', which move inguides or ways secured to the cross-piece of the frame, and at its lowerend with a semi-annular iiange, j', which comes in contact with or restsupon the upper side of bolster F, thus preventing the car from a rockingmovement laterally when raised from the track.

The lower end of shaft G is constructed as shown in the drawing at L,and hinged to bolster F by means of stirrups passing over the same, thebolster being cut away to receive the foot of the shaft, thus allowingthe same a rocking movement, whereby the forward end of the car may betilted upward as the same is vraised from the track. Said rack H gearswith or takes into a geared sectorwheel, H2, xed upon the inner end ofshaft B, whereby said rack may be moved upward or downward by arockin gmovement of shaftB.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The car being` in motionupon the track, power is applied to the lever C, tilting the sameforward, which communicates with bolster F by means of shaft B,gear-wheel H2, and rack Il. thus raising the same, bringing itinto contact track. The lever C is then tilted forward, the

bolster F raised, and the car is removed from the track in the shortestspace of time.

I have described myinvention as being applied only to hand-cars. It mayalso be attached to any car where a like brake and turn-table can beused.

Havingl thus described the nature and object of my invention and itsconstruction and operation, 'what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The bolster F, provided with shaft Gr and rack H, in combination withthe sector H2,

shaft B, and lever C, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The levers D and D2, in combination with bolster F, rack H, sectorH2, shaft B, and lever C, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

WILLIAM T. BEEKMAN. Witnesses:

G. H. Fnosr,

N. H. SHERBURNE.

